Spending Less with Spuds: Affordable Potato Recipes
Jan 18, 2021, Updated May 16, 2023
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This post is sponsored by Wada Farms
Building a better budget in the new year is no easy task. But we’ve found a sure-fire way to save money is by changing what we eat! When you’re conscious of how much you spend on food and plan ahead for meals, you’ll find it’s easier to save money.
There’s one food that people have turned to for generations to eat on the cheap: the potato! Try the following affordable potato recipes with big flavors and small prices.
What’s In a Potato?
For more than 230 million Americans, potatoes are a regular part of meals every week. They’re such a ubiquitous mealtime staple that many of us probably don’t give them a second thought. But that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve one! Potatoes are a culinary star that work with any kind of meal.
There’s more to potatoes than just flavor! A great source of potassium and Vitamins C and B6, potatoes are the perfect way to add some natural nutrition to your diet. They’re fat- and cholesterol-free and are heart-healthy. And with proteins and both simple and complex carbohydrates, potatoes can give you the energy to start your morning or help you refuel after a busy day.
Affordable Potato Recipes
So just how inexpensive can potato-based meals be? We picked a variety of mouthwatering recipes from the Idaho Potato Commission and estimated their costs.
For simplicity’s sake, we’ve calculated these prices with the assumption that you’ll buy every ingredient listed in the recipe, some of which come in larger packages than you may need. You may be able to find some ingredients at better prices than the ones we’ve calculated – or you likely already have some in your pantry or refrigerator!
Idaho® Potato Gnocchi
Approximate cost: $0.99 per serving
Gnocchi is a filling potato pasta with delightful flavor and texture. Bacon, basil, citrus, and Romano cheese come together in a restaurant quality dish for a pleasing price!
Get the recipe for Idaho® Potato Gnocchi
Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Approximate cost: $5.05 per serving
Upscale your chicken noodle soup without blowing your budget! Featuring many ingredients you may already have in your pantry, this is a hearty dish your family will love to come home to.
Get the recipe for Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Idaho® Russet Potato Johnnycakes
Approximate cost: $0.20 per Johnnycake
Potato pancakes are a nutritious way to start the day! This recipe features a homemade blueberry bourbon syrup – yum!
Get the recipe for Idaho Russet Potato Johnnycakes
Loaded Cheesy Garlic Homestyle Mashed Potatoes
Approximate cost: $1.29 per serving
Have your loaded potatoes without unloading your wallet! These mashed potatoes make an excellent side or entree.
Get the recipe for Loaded Cheesy Garlic Homestyle Mashed Potatoes
Cheesy Potato Taquitos
Approximate cost: $6.62 per serving
If you loved the Loaded Cheesy Garlic Homestyle Mashed Potatoes, you’ll love this tex-mex meal, too! These taquitos will help you use up your mashed potato leftovers with a unique south-of-the-border style.
Get the recipe for Cheesy Potato Taquitos
Easy Potato Leek Soup
Approximate cost: $2.45 per serving
This soup features potatoes, leeks, bacon, and herbs and is a great wintertime pick-me-up.
Get the recipe for Easy Potato Leek Soup
Brown Butter Herb Roasted Fingerlings
Approximate cost: $3.28 per serving
Roasted fingerlings are a finger-licking treat! Buttery and flavorful, this dish is a superb snack or side.
Get the recipe for Brown Butter Herb Roasted Fingerlings
Cheesy Hashbrowns Breakfast Pizza
Approximate cost: $4.58 per serving
Pizza? For breakfast?! While we wouldn’t normally condone such behavior, this potato-based breakfast pizza is a delicious exception!
Get the recipe for Cheesy Hashbrown Breakfast Pizza
Wada Farms Potatoes: Inexpensive, But Not Cheap!
The most spectacular spuds come from our partners at Wada Farms. These root vegetable experts have been shipping produce to market since 1943. Now, they’re one of the nation’s leading suppliers of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onions. In your local produce section you’ll find russet, red, and gold potatoes as well as fingerlings and sweet potatoes from Wada Farms fields.
These potatoes won’t break the bank! Pound for pound, potatoes are one of the most inexpensive food products you can buy. Russet potatoes are usually around $.70 each or $2.50 for a 5-lb. bag. Gold potatoes are even cheaper, sometimes less than $.40 each. Sweet potatoes are usually a bit more, around $.90, but they make up for it with dense flavor and nutrition. Red potatoes and fingerlings are most often found in bags. The fancier fingerling potatoes are usually around $3.50 for a 1.5-lb bag, while you can find a 5-lb. bag of reds for the same price.
While their potatoes are cheap to buy, Wada Farms doesn’t cut corners in the growing process! These potatoes are grown in the perfect environment in Idaho, benefiting from warm days and cool night and rich, nutrient-filled volcanic soil. Idaho-grown potatoes have a unique texture and taste that stands above those grown elsewhere. Wada Farms uses sustainable practices to ensure their potatoes have a minimal impact on the environment and will continue to taste great for years to come.
Potatoes: Tasty, Healthy, Wallet-Friendly
From traditional family recipes to modern culinary innovations, there are endless ways to put potatoes to use in your kitchen! Let these affordable potato recipes inspire your inner frugal foodie.
But there are more ways to improve your finances with potatoes! Check out these easy tips for storing potatoes and sweet potatoes. In the right conditions, you can store potatoes in bulk and have them on hand for any occasion.
There are so many good reasons to eat potatoes. They’re full of nutrition, they’re inexpensive, they’re easy to prepare, and of course, they’re absolutely delicious! How will you put potatoes to use in your kitchen this year? Share your potato plans or your favorite affordable potato recipes in the comments below or tag us on Instagram @theproducemoms and @wadafarms.
